This paper provides a mapping of quality of work and measures its evolution between 1995 and 2005 by using European Working Conditions Surveys. With a multilevel modelling, we assess the sensitivity of observed trends to "composition effects" and "country effects". Results suggest a decreasing trend in the quality of work: working conditions have deteriorated, while work has become more intense and less complex. In Germany and Italy all indicators have worsened while other European countries have more mixed results.

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. www.econstor.eu The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit organization supported by Deutsche Post Foundation. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its international network, workshops and conferences, data service, project support, research visits and doctoral program. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. Terms of use: Documents in D I S C U S S I O N P A P E R S E R I E SIZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author. Following the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT), firms are likely to face increasing skill requirements. They may react either by training or hiring the new skills, or by a combination of both. We first show that ICT are indeed skill biased and we then assess the relative importance of external and internal labour market strategies. We show that skill upgrading following ICT adoption takes place mostly through internal labour markets adjustments. The introduction of ICT is associated with an upward shift in firms' occupational structure, of which one third is due to hiring and firing workers from and to the external labour market, whereas two-thirds are due to promotions. Moreover, we find no compelling evidence of external labour market strategies based on "excess turnover". In contrast, French firms heavily rely on training in order to upgrade the skill level of their workforce, even if this varies across industries.JEL Classification: J23, J24, J41

No abstract

We present a cost-benefit analysis of an Australian Government sponsored 3-year supported employment program for autistic adults—the DXC Dandelion Program—in the information and communications technology sector. We explored the range of direct costs associated with running the program, benefits to participants, and avoided costs to the government. Estimates were based on data from 56 (86% men; Mage = 25.28, standard deviation [SD]  = 8.36 years) autistic participants in the program. The program generated a high benefit ratio for government, mainly driven by increases in wage rates and hours worked and avoiding welfare and unemployment benefit payments. Participants received the largest benefit through wages and access to the labor market, with most participants transitioning into productive, open employment following program completion. The results from the model are robust; the benefit ratio remained above 1.0 even when higher discount rates were applied. In sum, our analysis identifies potential economic savings associated with supported employment programs that provide pathways for otherwise unemployed or under-employed autistic adults to enter the workforce. Lay abstract Relative to the size of the population, there are fewer autistic people than non-autistic people in the workforce. Employment programs that provide extra support to autistic people may help them to gain and keep jobs that are suited to their skills and expertise. In this study, we reviewed the DXC Dandelion Program. This is a supported autism employment program run in partnership with the Australian Government. The program provided jobs to autistic people who worked in information and communications technology roles, such as software testing and cyber security. In this study, we examined some of the benefits of the program for the autistic people who participated in it. We also examined the benefits of the program to the government. We found that there are many savings to government when autistic people are employed in jobs that are matched to their skills and abilities, compared to being unemployed or working in jobs that are below their level of education, training, or skills.